When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.
Today was awesome, except for one hour, but I'll get to that later.
I started off riding south, down to Hot Springs. Then I went into Wyoming and back up to Hill City. After a quick stop at the Harley store I headed to Lead, Deadwood, Sturgis, Spearfish, and Devil's Tower. There was some back tracking along the way.
I was 9 miles from Devil's Tower when all hell broke loose. I saw it coming so I geared up. What I didn't see coming was the force of this storm. I was 100 feet outside of a little town when a was of water, hail and 60 mph winds hit. I got turned around and some how found my way to a gas station, where I sat for the next hour.
Once that was over I never got hit with anything more than a brief sprinkle. I ride down through New Castle, over thru Custer and back to Hill City.
Once the bike was tucked in for the night I grabbed a pizza.
Yea, those storms come up quick in the black hills and hail can be hell out there. Glad it was just an hour of inconvenience.
I always enjoy spearfish canyon....its a nice ride. I like to stick my head under the water and get completely soaked, lol. Keep the pics coming.
Post edit: If you walk around the base of devils tower, you might consider turning around and walking back around it from the other direction. You get a different perspective and I think is cool if you have time to do it.
Awesome pics and ride report, I'll be there in a few weeks and can't wait. One of my favorite roads is Van Nocker Canyon and highway 44 West out of Rapid City.
Are you at the Super 8 in Hill City ? How would you rate it for someone just looking for a decent place to sleep ?
Yes. It's clean, but the bed sucks.The a/c is kind of a piece of crap. I won't stay here again...unless they drop the price about 50%. Oh and the parking lot is on a hill, and there are only 5 spots that are level, if you don't get one of them your bike is way far away.
The rain stopped as I ate breakfast. I headed out, despite the wet roads. As I rode south things dried up. I stayed south of Hill City for a long time, finding some roads I hadn't been on.
I had a close encounter with a herd of buffalo, one of which was way too close. They were all over the road, and cars were stopped everywhere. I saw an opening and took it and got the hell out of there.
I had close calls with turkey and deer too. I also had an oh **** moment that didn't involve any animals. I was riding Irin Mountain Road, for the second time, and as I rounded one of the 15 mph u-turns my right board scraped, then my rear tire slid a bit, followed by the board support hitting the ground, I felt like I was about to lay right down, but I blipped the throttle and it grabbed and stood back up. I just kept on gowing, like I meant to do that. I'm sure the people that saw me do it we're like WTF?
I was riding from Lead to Four Corners on 85 and about half way into the ride I saw storm clouds coming. After yesterday's storm I said hell no, and turned around. Good thing too, because a storm did hit the area.
I only got around 360 miles today, but I stopped more, talked more, and was in slower roads
I head home tomorrow. One thing I can say is, if you haven't rode the Black Hills, you need too.
WTH is a Hildago? On a long a lonesome highway.... Hot Springs See my drag marks? Fresh map. My map.
7 Surprising Harley-Davidson Products that Are Not Motorcycles
Slideshow: The bar-and-shield logo shows up on far more than motorcycles, some of the company's most unexpected products have nothing to do with riding.
Slideshow: From the troubled AMF years to modern misfires, these bikes earned reputations for reliability issues, questionable engineering, or disappointing performance.
Crazy Bunderbike Build Looks Amazing, But Is It Impossible to Ride?
Slideshow: The Swiss custom shop has taken a Harley Softail and stretched it into something so long and low that it looks closer to a rolling sculpture than a conventional motorcycle.
Engraved Rebellion: Inside Bundnerbike's Glam Rock II
Slideshow: A standard cruiser becomes an intricate metal canvas in the hands of a Swiss custom house known for pushing Harley-Davidson platforms far beyond their factory brief.
Slideshow: Harley-Davidson's challenges aren't abstract; they show up in dropping shipments, shrinking dealer traffic, and strategic decisions that aren't yet translating into growth.
